Cyrus M. Davis

As printed in 1902

CYRUS M. DAVIS.

Iowa is one the greatest agricultural states in the Union. The splendid productions of field and meadow have been a most important element in its welfare and prosperity. Its products have been shipped out into other states and its influence upon trade has been very great. It is a well known fact that agriculture is the basis of all prosperity and those countries advance more rapidly where the productions of the fields arc sufficient to support the people..Mr. Davis is numbered among those in Boone count) who have won for Iowa il did reputation in this n gard I [e owns and operates a farm of one hundred and eighty acres on sections -'4 and 25, Worth township, and the old home place is substantially improved ami is a valuable tract of land. He came to Boone county in October. 1N54. being then only twelve years of age. his birth having occurred in Harrison county, Ohio, November 18, 1842. His father, Lewis Davis, was a native of Virginia, born in 1820, and in 1832 went to Ohio with an uncle, becoming a resident of Harrison county, that state, when the district was a frontier region. There he grew to manhood and when he had attained to years of maturity he sought a companion and helpmate for life's journey, being united in marriage to Miss Alary Ann Ames, whose birth occurred in Harrison county. Mr. Davis followed farming there for a number of years and six children were there added to the family, in 1854 he came to Boone county, lo\\a. and purchased land and developed a farm in Worth township, spending his remaining days upon that place. He died in 180,2. at the age of seventy-two years, while his wife passed away in February, 1900. In their family were six sons and seven daughters and all readied adult age, hut one brother and one sister are now deceased.

Cyrus M. Davis spent the first twelve years of his life in the state of his nativity and during the remainder of his youth lived in Boone county. He was early trained to the arduous duties of field and meadow in the development of a new farm, giving to his father the benefit of his services until he was nineteen years of age, when the country claimed his aid. He felt that his first Aw was b the I Fnii m and in 1862 he joined Company I. Thirty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry, with which he proceeded to the south and was assigned to duty with the Western Army. He participated in the battles of Cape Girardeau, Nyo Meto, Little Rock, Brownsville, and went with General in the Red River expedition, being forty-two days under fire in that campaign. He was also in the battle of Alexandria, Fort De Russy, Pleasant Hill and many smaller skirmishes. He afterward took pari in the battle of Eastport, Mississippi, and in die three days' engagement at Nashville. After the battle of Tupelo he went to Mobile with his command, took part in the battle there and afterward proceeded to Montgomery, Alabama, and participated in the siege and capture of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely. He served with valor and loyalty until the close of the war, when he was honorably discharged at Davenport, Jowa, in August, 1865.

Mr. Davis immediately afterward returned to his home. He was ill in the hospital but once, having spent two weeks in the hospital at Brownsville, Arkansas. He had always been found at his post of duty, faithfully defending the cause of the Union, but with rejoicing returned to Iowa when the country no longer needed his services, the preservation of the Union being an assured fact. He then remained with his father upon the old home farm until his marriage, which was celebrated in this count).in the 18th of March, [866, the lady of his choice being Mrs. Sarah \l. Boone, a widow, and a daughter of John Nut! the pioneer farmers of Indiana. She was born in that state, bu1 reared in Boone county. After his marriage Mr. Davis rented land for two years and then located upon his present farm, on section-4. Worth township, first purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of raw prairie, on which he built a small house. Throughout the months of spring, summer and autumn he was found in the fields attending to his crops they pr igressed toward perfection. After a number of years had passed his first home was replaced by a good substantial residence and all modern equipments and accessories have been added to his property, so that it has now become very valuable. The boundaries of the farm have been extended by additional purchase until he now has two hundred! acres there. He also bought two hundred acreof timber land on section 15. 1 >rth tow ship, ami hagk a id pasture land. In connection with general farming engaged in the raising and breeding of stock and regarded aone of the prosperulturists and stock men of tinlocality.

tome of Mr. and Mrs. Davis has been blessed with six children, and only two of the number are now living, Zilpha and James Allien. The former is yet with her parents, while the latter is married ami followed farming with his father. He lias one child. Ina May. The members of the family who have passed away are: CMlie, who died at the age of nineteen years; Harrison, who died at the age of eight years; Annette, who died at the age of two years; and an infant.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in A Biographical record of Boone County, Iowa (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.